Hood or deck lid hinge



March 5, 1957 T. vlGMosTAD 2,783,495

Hoon 0R DECK un HINGE File Dec. 25, 195s 2 Sheiets-Sheet 1 Wifi/ 9 l/maS22] B Y March 5, 1957 T. vlGMos'rAD l 2,783,495

HOOD OR DECK LID HINGE Filed Dec. 25, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 H001) R DECKLID HINGE Trygve Vigmostad, Detroit, Mich., assignor, by mesneassignments, to Chrysler Corporation, a corporation of DelawareApplication December 23, 1953, Serial No. 399,931

6 Claims. (Cl. 16-180) This invention relates to hinge structures forswinging lids or closures and in particular to ahinge structure that isespecially useful for the hood or deck lid of an automobile body andwhich embodies spring means elective to raise or assist in raising thehood or deck lid and counterbalance the weight thereof.

An object of the invention is to provide a hinge structure for aswinging lid or closure, such as a hood or deck lid for an automobilebody, having swinging hinge arm means attached to the lid and torsionalspring means operatively connecting the hinge arm means and body toexert a lifting force effective to raise or assist in raising the lid toopen position.

ln accordance with the embodiment of the invention illustrated herein byway of example, a pair of coaxial hinge arms are pivoted on the body andare attached to the lid or closure adjacent opposite sides thereof toswing the same to and from closed positions. A pair of spring torsionalmembers extend side by side transversely of the lid or closure andparallel to the axis of the coaxial hinge arms. Each torsional member ispivoted adjacent one end on one of each of a pair of transversely spacedsupports xed on the body and is also secured adjacent said one end toone end of one of each of a pair of swinging toggle links so as to swingthe latter. From the support on which it is pivoted, each torsionalmember extends toward the other support and is fixedly connectedthereto. Each of a second pair of toggle links is pivotally connected atone end to the other end of one of each of the first toggle links and ispivotally connected at its other end to one of each of the hinge arms toswing the same to and from open and closed positions of the lid orclosure upon unfolding and folding of the toggle links.

' The spring torsion members are initially twisted to a predetermniedangular degree so as to exert a swinging effort upon the toggle links towhich they are connected, tending to unfold the toggle links and therebyto urge the lid upward from closed position. Accordingly when the lid isunlatched, the torsional spring means acting through the toggle linksand hinge arms will swing or assist in swinging the lid upwardly to openposition.

it will be apparent that the torsional spring means provide simple,efficient, and economical lifting or counterbalancing means for a hoodor deck lid of an automobile body. Moreover by utilizing torsion membersarranged so that each comprises the support and pivot axis for thetoggle link mounted thereon, a particularly compact structure isprovided. It will also be seen that by virtue of this construction,equivalent lifting forces are applied at opposite sides of the lidtending to raise the latter smoothly and evenly.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following descriptionand appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsforming a part of this specification wherein like reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective view looking rearfred States Patent0 F"ice wardly from below the cowl toward the hinge means embodying thepresent invention, the latter being shown in application holding thehood of an automobile body in raised position.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged section taken in the direction of thearrows substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken in the direction of thearrows substantially along the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken in the direction of thearrows substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view similarto Fig. 4, showing the hood in closed position.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in itsapplication to the details of construction and arrangement of partsillustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capableof other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in variousways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminologyemployed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

In the drawings, the hinge structure embodying the present invention isillustrated in association with the hood of an automobile body. It willbe understood that this is but illustrative of one use of theinvention,l since the same may be applied equally well for example withthe deck or rear compartment lid.

In the illustrated example the front cowl panel of the body is shown at10 and the upwardly swinging hood is shown at 11. The cowl panel 10 iscrowned transversely and terminates at its forward edge in a transversetrough or gutter 12 underlying the rear transverse edge of the hood.Below the cowl panel and extending transversely of the hood is agenerally upright rigid body frame member 13. Suitably secured to theunder side of the hood at each lateral side thereof is a dependingbracket 14.

The hinge means supporting the hood for Vertical swinging movementcomprises a pair of similar hinge arms or members 15 mounted beneath thecowl at each lateral side thereof. Each hinge member is provided with aforwardly extending arm 15a underlying a bottom laterally extending ange14a of the bracket 14 and rigidly secured thereto and to a reinforcingplate 16 above -the flange 14a by a plurality of bolts 17. Each hingemember also has a goose-neck portion 15b adapted to provide clearancefor the trough 12 when the hood 11 is swung upwardly to its openposition as shown in Fig. 4. An upper hub 15C of each goose-neck portionis pivotally mounted on a transverse pivot pin 18 suitably supported bya channel bracket 19 which in turn is secured to the frame portion 13 bya plurality of bolts 20. The two pins 18 for the hinge arms 15 have acommon transverse axis whereby the hood 11 is supported to swingvertically to and from open and closed positions. The bracket 19 at theright in Figs. l and 2 is provided with a forwardly extending verticalange 21. Similarly the bracket 19 at the left in Figs. l and 2 is.provided with a forwardly extending vertical flange 22.

The spring means acting on the hinge members 15 comprise rearward andforward torsion rods or members 23 and 24 respectively which extend sideby side each other parallel to the axis of the coaxial pins 18. Thetorsion rod 23 has a square end 23a snugly iitting within a matingsquare socket in the flange 21, Fig. 3. The opposite end 23b of thetorsion rod 23 is cylindrical and is rotatably supported Within a matingcylindrical socket in the ange 22. Similarly the torsion rod 24 isprovided with a square end 24a keyed within a mating square v hole inthe ange 22 and is provided at its opposite end 3 with a cylindricalportion 2411 rotatably supported Within the flange 21. Thus one end ofeach rod 23 and 24 is held against rotation with respect to the body andthe other end is free to turn upon the application of torsional forcethereto. f

In order to swing the hinge members 15, the torsion rods 23 and 24 areprovided adjacent and inward of their corresponding cylindrical endswith portions 23C and 24e respectively of square cross section on whichare keyed swinging toggle links 25 and 26 respectively of substantiallyequal length. Thus as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, the squared portions23C and 24e extend snugly through correspondingly shaped square holes25a and 26a in the links 25 and 26 respectively. Adjacent and laterallyof the squared portions 23C and 24C are the cylindrical portions 23b and24b respectively, Fig. 2, whereby the toggle links 25 and 26 arepivotally mounted on the body by means of the torsion rods 23 and 24,which in turn are rotatably supported by the body flanges 22 and 21adjacent their respective toggle links.

A second pair of toggle links 27 and 2S are pivotally connected at oneend of each at 29 and 39 to the swinging ends of the links 25 and 26respectively. The other end of the link 27 is pivotally connected to thehinge arm at the left in Fig. l by means of a horizontal transverse pin31 extending through an upwardly projectng boss located within thetrough of the goose-neck portion 15b of that hinge arm, Fig. 4.Similarly the other end of the link 28 is connected to the other hingearm 15 by means of a pivot 32 through an upwardly projecting bosslocated Within the trough of the gooseneck portion 15b at the right inFig. l, and coaxial with the pin 31.

By virtue of the fact that the link 26 is pivotally supported forwardlyof the pivotal support for the link 25, and that the transversely spacedhinge arms 1S have coaxial pivots, the link 27 is somewhat longer thanlink 28.

The torsion rods 23 and 24 are under tension initially tending to swingthe links and 26 clockwise in Figs. 4 and 5, thereby urging unfoldingmovement of the toggle links and upward swinging of the hinge arms 15and hood 11 from the latters closed position, Fig. 5. Accordingly whenthe hood is unlatched at its front end, the hinge members 15 under theinlluence of the torsion members and toggle links will exert upwardforces on the hood raising or assisting to raise the same to its openposition shown in Fig. 4. The magnitude of the raising forces applied tothe hood is preferably predetermined so as to cause the spring torsionmembers to counterbalance the weight of the hood and also to hold thesame at full open position. At this position, stops 33 and 34 on theswinging ends of links 25 and 26 respectively engage the links 27 and 23to limit unfolding movement. As indicated in Fig. 4, the limit ofunfolding movement is reached before the toggle links attain end-to-endalignment, so that the latter will readily swing to the folded conditionof Fig. 5 upon the application of suthcient downward force on the hood11 to overcome the counterbalancing action of the torsion members 23 and24.

I claim:

l. In a hinge structure for a vertically swinging closure of a vehiclebody, a pair of transversely spaced hinge members adapted to be attachedat their outer ends tothe closure and pivotally connected at their innerends to the body to swing up and down about a common axis, a pair oflongitudinally spaced substantially parallel transversely extendingtorsion bars, the opposite ends of one torsion bar being respectivelyfixed against turning and free to turn and the corresponding oppositeends of the other torsion bar being respectively free to turn and xedagainst turning, a pair of upstanding levers spaced transversely of thebody and attached at their lower ends to the free turning ends of saidbars,

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and a link pivotally connecting the upper end of each lever to theassociated hinge member to provide for torsional angular deection ofsaid bars during upward opening movement of the closure.

2. In a hinge structure for a vertically swinging closure of a vehiclebody, a pair of transversely spaced hinge members adapted to be attachedat their outer ends to the closure and pivotally connected at theirinner ends to the body to swing up and down about a common axis, a pairof longitudinally spaced substantially parallel transversely extendingtorsion bars, the opposite ends of one torsion bar being respectivelyfixed against turning and free to turn and the corresponding oppositeends of the other torsion bar being respectively free to turn and fixedagainst turning, a pair of opstanding levers spaced transversely of thebody and attached at their lower ends to the free turning ends of saidbars,

and a link pivotally connecting the upper end of each lever to theassociated hinge member to provide for torsional angular deection ofsaid bars during upward opening movement of the closure, the pivotalconnection of each link to the hinge member being disposed at a pointrearwardly of the pivotal connection of the hinge member in the closedposition of the closure.

3. In a hinge structure for a vertically swinging closure of a vehiclebody, a pair of transversely spaced hinge members adapted to be attachedat their outer ends to .the closure and pivotally connectedl at theirinner ends to the body to swing up and down about a common axis, a pairof longitudinally spaced substantially parallel transversely extendingtorsion bars, the opposite ends of one torsion bar being respectivelyxed against turning and tree to turn and the corresponding opposite endsof the its forward end to the upper end of each lever and pivoted at itsrear end to the associated hinge member at a point lower than the pivotpoint at the forward end of the link in the closed position of theclosure, said links and levers providing for torsional angulardeflection of the torsion bars lduring upward opening movement of theclosure.

4. ln a hinge structure for a vertically swinging closure of a vehiclebody, a pair of transversely spaced hinge members adapted to be attachedat their outer ends to the closure and pivotally connected at theirinner ends to the body to swing up and down about a common axis, a pairof longitudinally spaced substantially parallel transversely extendingtorsion bars, the opposite ends of one torsion bar being respectivelyxed against turning and free to turn and the corresponding opposite endsof the other torsion bar being respectively free to turn and fixedagainst turning, a pair of upstanding levers spaced transversely of thebody and attached at their lower ends to the free turning ends of saidbars, and a link pivoted at its forward end to the upper end of eachlever and pivoted at its rear end to the associated hinge member at apoint lower than the pivot point at the forward end of the link andrearwardly of the pivotal connection of the hinge member in the closedposition of the closure, said links and levers providing for torsionalangular deflection of the torsion bars during upward opening movement ofthe closure.

5. In a vehicle body having a supporting structure and a verticallyswingable closure, a pairy of transversely spaced hinge members attachedat their outer rear ends to the closure and pivoted at their innerforward ends to the supporting structure to swing up and down about acommon axis, a pair of longitudinally spaced substantially paralleltransversely extending torsion bars, the opposite ends of one torsionbar being respectively lixed against turning and free .to turn and thecorresponding opposite ends of the other torsion bar being respectivelyfree to turn and fixed against turning, a pair of upstanding leversspaced transversely of the body and attached at their lower ends to thefree turning ends of said bars, a link pivotally connecting the upperend of each lever to the associated hinge member to provide fortorsional angular deflection of said bars during upward opening movementof the closure, the pivotal connection of each link to the hinge memberbeing disposed at a point rearwardly of the pivotal connection of thehinge member in the closed position of the closure.

6. In a vehicle body having a supporting structure and a verticallyswingable closure, a pair of transversely spaced hinge members attachedat their outer rear ends to the closure and pivoted at their innerforward ends to the supporting structure to swing up and down about acommon axis, ya pair of longitudinally spaced substantially paralleltransversely extending torsion bars, the opposi-te ends of one torsionbar being respectively xed against turning and free to turn and thecorresponding opposite ends of the other torsion bar being respectivelyfree to turn and fixed against turning, a pair of upstanding leversspaced transversely of the body and attached at their lower ends to thefree turning ends of said bars, a link pivotally connecting the upperend of each lever to the associated hinge member to provide fortorsional angular deflection of said bars through a range appreciablyless than ninety degrees during travel of said closure from closed toopen position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,439,005 Kyle Dec. 19, 1922 2,381,132 Marchand Aug. 7, 1945 2,612,651Roethel Oct. 7, 1952

